Be the Change You Want to See in the WorldFrom "Be the Change You Want to See in the World: 365 Things You Can Do for Yourself and Your Planet" by Julie Fisher-McGarry

June 1 - The Cat's Meow

June is the ASPCA’s Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat month. Millions of cats roam our streets; some looking for a kind person to take them in and give them a new home and some are feral and want nothing to do with people. This huge population is especially acute at this time of year since shelters are overflowing with all the kittens born during the springtime. Unfortunately the message of spay/neuter still hasn’t got through to some people and out the animal goes when they realize she is pregnant—out she goes, where, if she is lucky, she will arrive at a shelter. Shelter cats make excellent companions.
However, just as cats give people love and companionship, humans need to care for their cat and provide her with an appropriate loving home. Careful research and planning is the key to adopting the right cat for your family, since adopting one should never be an impulse decision and indoor felines can live up to twenty years.

June 2 - Bee Happy

To keep butterflies and bees happy, be organic.

June 3 - Organic Herb Gardening

Thyme to plant a few herbs. Herbs can be used for many things, in sachets, oils, and lotions, the bath, medicinal, and culinary use and perfuming the home. And they are easy to grow. However, herbs can be as prone to garden pests as any other plant so here are some tips to keep your herbs as free from diseases and pests as possible. Remove dead leaves and flowers as often as possible to keep fungal diseases at bay. Patches of rust can appear when there is high humidity or poor air circulation: this could be a sign your herb pots are too crowded together so rearrange them for ample space and ventilation. Red spider mites thrive, on the other hand, in hot, dry conditions: remove any leaves with webs and spray with water for a few days. Whitefly in my garden loves my chives and dill and thrives around the bases of the plants. I find this especially in late spring when temperatures are lower. I move the pots to a sunnier spot, especially an outside windowsill where the air circulation is improved and spray with a soap solution. Black fly prefers my chocolate mint on the topmost, newer growth where it’s more succulent . . . these I pinch off in the worst cases and dispose of and then out comes the insecticidal soap spray again. My Italian parsley sometimes attracts leaf miners: these are the larvae of flies, beetles, or moths and I just pick off the affected leaves. Slugs and snails I pick off each morning. Keep up with the bugs and you’ll have fresh herbs to savor all summer long.

June 4 - Open Your Heart

If you are ready for a cat to adopt you, check out www.aspca.org for information, then please stop by a shelter or rescue for a cat, or a kitten or two. Every cat deserves a happy nine lives.

June 5 - Joyous Noise

Nurture yourself and your children with all kinds of music.

June 6 - Natural Herbalist

Herbs aren’t just for people! Animals like herbs, too.

June 7 - Healthy Animal Instincts

I wish I had a grassed area for Smiler to play on—dogs love nothing better that to roll on their backs in the grass. If I miss his doggie signals to take him out for a grass-munching walk, he’ll chow down on the herbs in the garden. His favorite is lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) which amazed me at first as it’s very lemon flavored and I didn’t think he’d like the taste, but it’s good for anxiety and the digestion so I bow to his natural instincts. He also likes parsley in his evening meal and likes to rub himself along the rosemary bushes, which add shine to his coat and help itchy spots. If he feels his breath smells, he’ll chow a sprig of mint—chocolate mint is his mint of choice and pineapple sage if his meal was oily— like after pizza! Lavender is also good for healing and is a flea repellent . . . but he hates the smell! Dogs seem to have a “nose” for the herbs that are right for them. Pay attention and learn.

June 8 - Cradle Your Cat

Cats live longer, healthier lives indoors. If you have a cat, don’t put it outdoors to have fun—put more cat fun indoors. Set aside time to play with her and give her attention; cats can be total love sponges if you’ll just give yours the encouragement. Provide scratching posts, different kinds of toys, a pot of kitty grass for her to chew, a shelf or two at different windows where she can safely watch the birds (the birds will be safer too) and people going by outside; the ASPCA Web site can give you more ideas. And don’t forget to tell your neighbors and friends their cat should be indoors: we don’t want their furry friend brought in a black plastic sack.

June 9 - Bridal Botany

June is a glorious month when nature puts on its brightest smile and romance blooms. Whether you are planning a wedding or just want the house to smell glorious, cut some herbs and bring them indoors. Check out their meanings, too: rosemary is for fond remembrance; sage for virtue; oregano is for joy and happiness; and lavender symbolizes devotion. Ivy, a traditional herb, represents constancy and fidelity. Experiment with herbs. They bring the outdoors in and are filled with history and meaning, too.

June 10 - Nature’s Pest Control

This is the time of year for outdoor parties. If your host is a gardener, take a container of ladybugs (Hippodamia convergens), which you can buy at garden centers, as your house gift, and tell her that one little bug will happily munch through around 400 of her greenfly in a week. Or choose praying mantis instead; hire an aphid killer and let nature rule the garden and not pesticides.

June 11 - Be Mindful of Your Pets

As you get ready for those days at the beach, for having friends round for vegan barbeques and soy ice cream, remember to take especially good care of your companion animals.Tomorrow I’ll tell you more.

June 12 - No Hot Dogs, Please

Dogs can very easily suffer from heatstroke. Signs include excessive panting, whining, agitation, staring or glazed eyes, vomiting, and collapse. A dog that isn’t treated for heatstroke may die.
Never leave your dog in your car, even with the windows cracked. If you see a dog in a parked car on a hot day and you think he may be suffering from heatstroke, call your nearest animal shelter or the sheriff’s department. Limit Rover’s physical activity to the early morning and evening while it’s cool. The sidewalk and hot sand will burn your best friend’s paws.
During the day, make sure he has plenty of shade if he’s outside— and that’s all day, especially at midday. A doghouse does not provide adequate shade—it’s a stuffy box—crawl in and see! Nor is the garage. Shade is a large tree with overhanging branches, a row of hedges, or constructed shade. If he’s indoors, make sure his area is well ventilated and it doesn’t catch the hot afternoon sun.
A large tub of water will stay cooler than the usual bucket; make sure it’s spill proof and plentiful. Keep a hose outside and a child’s wading pool for the dogs to slosh through; dogs love it—some just walk through to cool their paws, some fish out the toys, some lie in it and try to do doggy-paddle! But all have a good long drink!
Some dogs like to play in the sprinklers, so if your dog is outside for most of the day, maybe set your sprinkler timer system to come on for a few minutes during the hottest part of the day—Rover can play and then lie down in the cool, wet grass or concrete.
One more thing I ask—please keep an eye on your neighborhood dogs. If you suspect a neighbor’s dog is suffering from the heat or has no water, please politely tell your neighbor— they may not realize there is no shade at midday. If you need any help or advice on how to handle this, please call your local animal shelter where one of their staff should be happy to help.

June 13 - MakeYour Choices for the Children

Did you know that, according to the Children’s Defense Fund, in this affluent country there are currently 13 million children who are hungry or at risk of hunger? No, that is not a typing mistake—thirteen million—and for every four people who stand in line at a soup kitchen one of those will be a child.
Meanwhile billions are spent on wars by this country every year. Billions are spent on space research and space travel. Families in this country and children in this country should not be experiencing hunger and poverty, not in the shortterm, and certainly not in the long term. Let’s reprioritize children over weapons and ending hunger over eating meat.

June 14 - Body Image Starts at Home

Our weight seems to increase as we get older, but we should be able to compensate by being wiser about what we eat. And besides, it isn’t so much the fat we see that’s the real problem— it’s the fat we can’t see that’s trapped around the heart, other organs, and being carried in the blood that is more likely to cause a heart attack.
So forget the diet pills and fad diets. The best diet to lose weight is also the diet that will keep you healthy and that’s a vegan diet: a diet based on highly nutritious foods of beans, grains, vegetables, and fruit and which are naturally low in fats and processed sugars, yet give enough protein for a healthy body.The key really is low fat since fats are twice as high in calories than are carbohydrates and proteins.
This is a diet of taste and balanced nutrition and does away with calorie counting . . . actually it’s not a diet, it’s a healthy way of life.

Place spinach in a salad bowl; top with cauliflower, mushrooms, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, beans, walnuts, and rice. Pour the dressing over the top and toss well. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve. Serves 2-6.

June 16 - Ward off Pests

Also with the warmer days come the crawling and buzzing beasties! Take care of yourself or you might get eaten alive!

June 17 - Gentle Care for Bee Stings and Bug Bites

If, like my husband, you attract the mosquitoes and bees, here are some tips so that you don’t have to go into hiding until fall. A bee sting is where the bee leaves his stinger, or lancet, in your skin where the venom continues to be pumped in. So remove the sting carefully and quickly by flicking it out with a fingernail or the edge of a credit card. Don’t pinch or squeeze the area, as this will make it worse. Bee stings are acidic so neutralize the area with baking soda mixed with water.Wasp stings tend not to leave a barb but temporary, local pain plus a swelling and red mark.To ease the pain use an ice pack, an anesthetic spray such as Wasp-ese, and an aspirin if necessary.
You can also dab wasp stings with vinegar to help the inflammation. If a baby or toddler is stung by either a wasp or bee, there are multiple stings. If you are stung in the mouth, or know you are allergic to these stings, see immediate medical attention. If you see a wasp or bee, leave it alone and walk away from it, don’t try to swat at it. Always check anything you are about to eat for bees or wasps and wash your sweet sticky hands, and children's faces, afterwards to deter insects.

Mosquitoes tend to hunt at dusk and their itching bites can drive you nuts. If your skin tends to react badly apply something soothing like ice, witch hazel, or an antihistamine cream. Don’t scratch at it and break the skin or it may become infected. To deter mosquitoes spray yourself with an insect repellent, avoid using anything perfumed on yourself, cover up with long sleeves and pants, paying special attention to wrists and ankles where your blood vessels are close to the surface. Burn special night repellents or citronella candles if outdoors and remember to close windows and doors at dusk. Avoid sitting near fresh water ponds or streams at dusk, and in your own garden clear up any pockets of standing water where mosquitoes may breed and hang out.
Make up a special summer first aid kit with antiseptic wipes and the items I’ve mentioned to take on picnics or to the beach. (Jellyfish stings can be removed with a dry towel or dry sand and bathe with vinegar to neutralize.) Add to your kit some homeopathic remedies such as arnica for bruises, calendula cream for sunburn and bee stings, lavender and tea tree oils for stings and minor cuts, plus rose or chamomile oil for overheated skin and to calm excited children at the end of a hectic day. (Don’t use these oils directly on the skin.) Keep an extra cooler of water for any emergencies too.

June 18 - Share the Planet

It’s thought that HIV that manifests itself as AIDS began in Africa as part of the bush meat trade whereby humans ate chimpanzees or gorilla meat and the virus broke out by switching to another species. People in Asia contracted the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) virus maybe from eating civet cats, a delicacy there, and then global air travel and crowded urban living spaces helped spread the disease. We have all heard of Mad Cow Disease or BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, which is a chronic, degenerative disorder affecting the central nervous system of cattle) where overcrowded animal farming and feeding herbivores with a food containing ground up animal remains spreads disease, both to the animals and then to humans. West Nile virus, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, and Ebola—are these and other diseases borne from exposing new pathogens on our quest to delve deeper into the rainforests and jungle areas? Do these pathogens then flourish thanks to global warming?
In our greed for resources and quest for ever-expanding markets, we have thrown open the lid to Pandora’s box and we really need to close it before we do irrevocable damage—to ourselves, to the animals and plants we share our planet with, and to our Earth itself. Are these new viruses Mother Nature’s way of containing humans before we do even more damage?

June 19 - Even Vegans Crave Chocolate

Truffles, praline, chunky or wafer-thin, soft-centered, ganache, brownies, cake, or cookies—chocoholics love chocolate. It’s even good for you, in moderation. Chocolate contains antioxidants, which protect cells and repair cell damage, even to the extent of lowering cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of cancer. It’s also claimed that chocolate improves your mood, decreases fatigue and increases alertness, makes you calm, yet euphoric . . . let’s face it, we all know that eating chocolate simply makes you feel better. Choose good quality, organic vegan chocolate, if you can find it.

Dip the banana slices into the lemon juice to prevent discoloring. Thread the fruit pieces onto 4 skewers, place in a shallow dish, and pour the rum over them. Leave to get drunk for 30 minutes—the fruit, not you—until ready to barbecue. Cook over the hot coals until seared—about 2 minutes, turning frequently. Serve with the chocolate dip: Put all the dip ingredients into a small pan and heat over the barbecue or a low heat until smooth and thickened, stirring constantly. Serves 4.

Complicated instructions here, so read carefully! In a food processor, whiz together all the ingredients until smooth and creamy. Can be stored in the refrigerator. Makes about 3 cups . . . and remember, if you have chocolate on your hands, you are eating far too slowly!

June 22 - Fruit for Thought

Don’t only think of strawberries as a dessert either: I had a delightful salad the other day of mixed baby salad leaves, strawberry quarters, medjool dates, and a wonderfully light strawberry dressing.

Animals seem to protect people against the stressful events that occur in their lives. Having a companion animal improves the life of the elderly. Did you know that scientific research suggests that companion animals help reduce blood pressure, promote healing after a heart attack, reduce anxiety, and boost the spirits?

June 25 - Beach OutReach

The Surfrider Foundation is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans and beaches through conservation, activism, research, and education.
Local chapters of this nineteen-year-old group work hard testing our oceans’ water, cleaning beaches, campaigning, and visiting our schools for the benefit of all people, and hence the marine life, and we must all be mindful of the part we play when we visit our coastal areas.
The Surfrider Foundation distributes an excellent leaflet, “20 Ways to Cleaner Oceans and Beaches”; call 1(800) 743 SURF, or check www.surfrider.org for a copy. The leaflet starts with storm drains that lead directly to the ocean, “Dumping one quart of motor oil down a storm drain contaminates 250,000 gallons of water,” and ends with the respect of the beach and your whole environment.

June 26 - The Most Lucious of Vitamins

Peaches and nectarines contain calcium, vitamins A and C and a little iron. Buy the freshest you can find, and cut out any bruising.

Five minutes before serving, place all ingredients in a large bowl, add the dressing, and toss gently but well. Check the seasoning. Serves 6-8.

June 28 - Be Kind to Your Fellow Man

In these days of rush, rush, rush, self, self, self, let’s not forget good, old-fashioned common courtesy, especially when in our cars. Never run a red light because you are in a rush. And remember, the passing lane is for temporary use, it is not yours to remain in until you care to move over or you’ve finished your phone call. And that’s another thing . . . mobile phones. Please speak softly and move out of the way when you are so engaged. No one cares how important you think you are; be more considerate.

June 29 - Center Yourself with Yoga

There are many reasons to take a yoga class: in response to aging where your muscles are seizing-up, to release stress and tension and learn how to relax in both body and mind, to build muscle and tone, to become flexible and strong, to learn how to breathe deeply, for calmness, focus, and centering, or for self-awareness and peace with yourself and your world. Yoga is much, much more than just stretching, it is a discipline and a balance. Originating in India, yoga is as ancient as it is modern and encompasses all religions, all philosophies and can be practiced by any age group and level of fitness.
There are different styles or traditions of yoga from Hatha, Viniyoga, Ashtanga, Kundalini, Raja, and others so you need to try various ones and different instructors to find one that is just right for you. Of course you may just want to go to a class because your friend does and it’s convenient to where you live or work, and that’s fine too.

June 30 - A Picnic in the Park

What is your idea of a great picnic? Of course you want the weather to be nice—not too hot, yet not windy either, no bees, wasps, or ants, peaceful if you want romance or to relax, or other families around if your kids love to play. Of course good food goes without saying so give a little thought to your preparation, make a list and keep it handy or in your picnic basket or cooler and your day will be perfect . . . maybe! I like to use a wicker basket complete with reusable plastic plates, utensils, cups, napkins, hand wipes, and a blanket.
Cold drinks and food go in my cooler. The food you take should be easy to prepare and transport, easy to eat (nothing that’ll go soggy, drippy, or limp please), and tasty to eat with your fingers or a fork. And don’t forget the pepper and salt.Wash fruit and chop veggies before you leave. If you take wine remember the corkscrew! Rinse a washcloth and place in a baggie for sticky faces and fingers! Put a pinch of patience, a dash of humor, and a bucket of fun in a bigger baggy and above all, relax and enjoy the day.